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Stryker is 'Way of the Future,' Army NCOs Say

By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2002  The Army's new multi-wheeled, armored vehicle, the Stryker, may be lean compared to an Abrams tank, but it's no lightweight.

At 38,000 pounds, the Stryker can be airlifted to deploy to hot spots around the globe, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary Engelbrecht, who, along with Staff Sgt. John Gemmell Jr., showcased the eighth Stryker off the assembly line to visitors May 9 as part of Public Service Recognition Week activities on the National Mall.

The two 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade noncommissioned officers from Fort Lewis, Wash., noted that the Stryker's 70-ton cousin, the Abrams, is too heavy to be airlifted, so it deploys by ship, a much slower process.

With the Stryker, Engelbrecht explained, "you'll be able to move a whole brigade within 96 hours" and engage the enemy for 72 hours until heavier forces arrive.

"It's basically getting the infantry to the battle faster," he added.

The rapid-deployable Stryker can also absorb a licking and keep on ticking.

"You can take up to a .50-caliber 'hit' it won't penetrate," Engelbrecht said. And, he added, with supplemental armor, the Stryker can face 14.5mm rocket- propelled grenade rounds.

The Stryker's low-slung silhouette and speedy nature also helps it to survive on the battlefield. The vehicle can travel more than 60 mph on hard roads and maintain 45 mph cross-country, Engelbrecht noted.

It can bite, too, with either a top-mounted, .50-caliber machine gun or Mark 19 grenade launcher as armament.